Colin Blackburn

I found 90% of this crossword a doddle and then struggled filling in the last few answers. There was the odd word in the wordplay that I’d have expected more in a Morded … Read more >>

A mostly straightforward puzzle from Virgilius. Three hidden clues made for an easy start and a quick fill for me. However, I still have doubts about one answer and a couple of clues … Read more >>

The football theme stands out from the clues if not the grid entries, only 9a is a footballing term. I thought that was it then I noticed the letters in the first and … Read more >>

This turned out to be a nightmare puzzle for me. I’m too busy at work preparing to take a break and so I didn’t find the space to do this puzzle justice. Some … Read more >>

Good quality puzzle from Phi with a handful of great anagrams. One clue has left me foxed. I think the grid was pangrammatic too. Across 8 DIPSOMANIA — (I SIP ON MAD)* + … Read more >>

A challenging puzzle in parts with some superb charade clues that inventively stitch together the component parts and at the same time have very good surfaces. One word was new to me and … Read more >>

A rushed puzzle today which is still unfinished. I have not worked out 18dn or 21ac, I suspect if I got either I’d get the other but I thought I’d get the post … Read more >>

A fairly easy Virgilius today with no obvious theme other than the inter-linking of a couple of the long entries. Though someone will now tell me that a knight’s move sequence reveals something … Read more >>

When I swapped to Friday this week I expected a nice Phi puzzle, instead I got Nimrod! A little more difficult than Phi for me with some clues still a mystery. However, much … Read more >>

Good fare from Phi with some excellent clues but with a couple of gaps in the word play and one clue not solved until I check in TEA just before submitting this! Across … Read more >>

A very quick puzzle, for me, helped by the letter patterns of the long across answers and some obvious anagrams. Some very good cluing, as usual, but no noticeable theme. cd = cryptic … Read more >>

A fairly straightforward puzzle with generally good word play and some nice surface readings. I made a couple of silly errors in writing in answers which held me up on the last two … Read more >>